How Division I Head Coaches & Olympians Simplify the Recruiting Process & Help you Find the Best Fit
The Sparks approach to college counseling is a fit-based, rowing-specific approach. It’s our desire to help you grow boldly, achieve competitive advantage, and realize your greatest college potential.
Rowing recruiting experience on our counseling staff averages two decades in conferences such as the Ivy League, Big 10, and NESCAC. Our staff includes multiple Olympians and former collegiate head coaches. Finally, our experience in the sport combines with over a decade of experience in rowing specific college counseling.
As former collegiate coaches we know the intricacies of college rowing; therefore, you can rely on us at the crucial moments of your rowing journey. If clients would like academic counseling, we also work in partnership with the top academic college counselors in the US and UK.
Once you meet your counselor, he or she will take the time to understand what makes you unique. Through one-on-one conversations, your counselor will help you develop a personalized game plan to optimize your collegiate rowing experience.
Your counselor will:
- Provide insight on what a competitive applicant looks like
- Help you identify various programs and opportunities to better your rowing abilities
- Translate key phrases like ‘soft support’ and help you understand what coaches are really saying
- Give you deeper insights on what it will take to row in college
- Help you define who you are and what areas you need to develop in
Hear Sparks CEO Ryan Sparks answer the question “Am I good enough to row in college?”
If you’re a younger student, you have time to gain mastery of your skills while eliminating your weaknesses at our camps. However, many families start the recruiting process late as the sport itself starts at a later age.
If you are part of such a family, you’re in great hands! We know first-hand what college coaches and recruiters are looking for – we can be your guiding hand throughout the entire recruiting process.
The Recruiting Process Can be Overwhelming
It is difficult enough to identify all schools that might fit your needs, but this is just the beginning of the recruiting process.
You now have to:
- Know what erg score, GPA, and SAT score combination will get you into each school
- Write emails to the coaching staff
- Set up official school visits
- Make a list of your racing results
- Dust off your negotiation skills
- Find out what campus life is like for each university
With Sparks’ decade-long interaction with the rowing community, you will have an edge on the competition.
Can Sparks help me improve my erg scores or coxswain calls?
Yes! For over a decade we have held national and international camps to help young rowers and coxswains reach the next level of performance.
Our staff are some of the best collegiate-level coaches in America. Not only are they great coaches, but many were elite athletes and/or have coached teams that performed on the National and Olympic level.
For example, we currently run the largest coxswain camp program in the world and recently launched an eLearning program for coxswains specially developed by 4 Olympians.
With our staff’s caliber, we are able to help you push yourself to your limit and improve as an athlete or a coxswain.
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School culture is one of the most important attributes that will dictate your happiness for 4 years. With our vast experience, we can give you an accurate description of what day-to-day life is like on many of our nation’s campuses.
Once you narrow down your choices, you will need to reach out to the coaches. First contact with a coach is a monumental event – so before you make that contact, we will walk you through what the coaches are looking for based on our personal experience coaching and recruiting for some of the top universities in America.
Gavin - Recruited at Cornell and Columbia Universities
“There is such an advantage to working with a firm like Sparks. They have a wealth of knowledge and expertise with the recruiting world as a whole, and all of the counselors are committed to understanding your long term goals. Everyone I spoke to was dedicated to helping me find a school where I would develop as an athlete, scholar and person. I didn’t have to sacrifice any of my priorities, and that’s incredibly valuable.”
Brad - Recruited at Stanford and Harvard Universities
“The recruiting process was a high-pressure scenario, but the team at Sparks’ helped me feel well-informed and in control. From recruiting timelines and sports resumes to understanding team cultures and interacting with college coaches, my counselor streamlined every step of the process. By my senior year, I was able to take more risks with my applications and weigh all of my options with a sound mind.“
Trofym - Recruited at Yale and George Washington Universities
“Even as a top prospect in Canada, the recruiting system in the US was overwhelming. I considered the best programs in the country but felt like something was missing. As a second semester senior, I realized that the fastest team is not always the best choice. In May of my senior year, Sparks helped me identify schools where I would excel both athletically and academically. I went on to complete both an undergraduate and master’s degree, win a World Championship, and experience three Olympic Games.”
Ari - Recruited at Wesleyan University and Bates College
"When my mother first told me she hired this firm to help me, I told her she was wasting her money. I was already communicating with college coaches and felt like I had everything under control. I was so wrong! Sparks widened my perspective on the college selection process. My counselor challenged me to consider serious issues I never would have thought about on my own. They helped me uncover needs I didn’t realize I had, and they empowered me to take a step back and critically analyze every option from a big picture point of view."
Angela - Recruited at the Universities of Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Tulsa
“By the time I contacted Sparks I was so overwhelmed by the recruiting process that I started questioning my desire to compete in college. The counselors alleviated my anxiety immediately, and because they specialize in academic admissions as well as athletics, I learned how to define my long-term goals and make choices with the big picture in mind. Now I’m a proud graduate and will always be grateful to Sparks for helping me find the best overall experience.”
Tracy - Parent from London, England
"Sparks was an integral part of the college process for our son. Their vast knowledge of the US collegiate world and the dedication of our advisor allowed our son to make informed decisions. His advisor took the time to understand him and made the process a very personalized one. In the end, he made the right choice for himself, and his counselor was instrumental in that process. We highly recommend Sparks for their focus, dedication, and expertise."